Apart from being famous and building legacies, being a professional athlete is hugely rewarding. The pay is usually hefty and mostly comes with extras, all these, while following your dreams. This is why many young people aspire and dream of becoming professionals in their chosen sports activity. Unfortunately, issues like pay disparities in gender are still pertinent in the sports world, as male athletes generally earn more than their female counterparts. However, many female pro-athletes earn well and are very rich despite the pay gap. In this article, we will look at the top ten richest female tennis players of 2022.
10 Garbine Muguruza ($12 million)
Since turning Pro in 2012, Garbine has won 10 singles and 5 double titles. The 28-year-old right-handed tennis star was ranked 5th in the Forbes list of highest female athlete earners in 2021. From prize money alone, the Spaniard has realized almost $25 million. However, endorsement deals from popular brands like Nivea and Jaguar saw her earnings take a considerable leap. Today, the 2016 French open winner is worth $12 million.
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9 Ana Ivanovic ($16 million)
Ana Ivanovic won 15 WTA Tour singles titles, one Grand Slam title, and the French Open. Before she retired, she was recognized by Times as one of the “30 Legends of Women’s Tennis: Past, Present, and Future”. She racked in about $15 million alone in prize money and made more from brand endorsements. Today, she is worth $16 million
8 Samantha Stosur ($18 Million)
The 38year old Australian tennis player was a former world No. 1 in doubles. Since she turned Pro in 1999, she has amassed more than $20 million in prize money from winning 40 career titles. One of her most prominent achievements was beating Serena Williams at the 2011 U.S. Open. This feat made her the first Australian woman since Evonne Cawley to win a Grand Slam singles tournament. While she is nearly retiring, the 22nd-ranked Women Tennis Association (WTA) player is worth $18 million today.
7 Victoria Azarenka ($20 million)
Victoria turned Pro in 2003 and claimed No.1 for the first time in January 2012. Since then, the right-handed female tennis player has won 21 WTA singles titles and is a three-time major finalist in the U.S. Open. The 32year old Belarusian won two Grand Slam titles at the 2012 and 2013 Australian Open. That historic achievement made her the first person from Belarus to win a grand slam tournament. Victoria has racked in about $35 million in prize money from her glittering career, and she is worth $20 million in 2022.
6 Agnieszka Radwanska ($25 million)
Agnieszka, before retiring, won 22 titles, including 20 career single titles and 2 double titles. The 33year old Polish athlete also became the first from her nation ever to reach a grand slam final in 2015. Today, she is worth $25 million and earned more than $27 million from prize money alone.
5 Svetlana Kuznetsova ($30 million)
Svetlana Kuznetsova turned Pro at 15 and went on to win 18 titles in a glittering career. Her $25.8 million earning from prizes is ranked 10th on the all-time earning list. Apart from being endorsed by Fila, she also appeared in many video games as a playable character. Today, her estimated net worth is $30 million.
4 Naomi Osaka ($60 million)
Naomi came into the limelight in 2014 when she defeated Samantha Stosur in her WTA Tour debut. She has since gone ahead to win six other career titles, including back-to-back grand slam single titles. According to Forbes, Naomi ranked no. 1 as the female athlete who earned the most in 2021. She made a whopping $57.3 million alone, mostly from endorsements. Besides her skincare brand- Kinlo, Naomi has active deals with Louis Vuitton, Sweetgreen, TAG Heuer, Levis, Frankies Bikinis, and Beats by Dre. According to reports, the 24year old is estimated to be worth $60 million.
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3 Venus Williams ($95 million)
Venus has won 49 titles since she turned Pro in 1994. In 2000, she won the Wimbledon, U.S. Open, and the Olympics singles gold. She then proceeded to win both the U.S. Open and Wimbledon in 2001. Venus is regarded as one of the greatest female tennis players, as she and her sister paved the way for modern-day female tennis. Her 75% and 83.3% win rate in singles and doubles, respectively, are also only thwarted by her sister- Serena. Venus has racked in almost $45 million in prize money, and she is worth an estimated $95 million.
2 Maria Sharapova ($198 million)
After turning Pro at 14, Maria became the world No.1 at 18 in 2005. She then won the U.S. Open a year after and the Australian Open in 2006. She is regarded as one of the greatest female tennis players of all time. She is endorsed by many popular global brands and generates huge income from her ventures. She racked in about $39 million from prize money alone. She is estimated to be worth $198 million today.
1 Serena Williams ($225 million)
Serena and her sister are female tennis legends, and she is the most decorated star of all time. She has 73 titles to her name and has also earned almost $95 million in prize money. However, most of her earnings are from endorsements, as she has the most amongst her colleagues. Today, she has endorsement deals with deals Gatorade, Delta, Aston Martin, Pepsi, IBM, Intel, Beats by Dre headphones, etc. As of 2022, Serena is reportedly worth $225 million.
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Sources: Worthly, The Sports Grail, Wealthy Gorilla
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